Interview

Dr. Phoebe A. Cohen is a Professor of Geosciences at Williams College and is involved in numerous research projects with the NASA Astrobiology Program. Cohen studies the fossil record to uncover clues about the evolution of complex life on Earth. In her work, she studies

What is life? In this interview, Gerry Joyce of the Scripps Research Institute reveals why it’s been so hard for scientists to come up with a definition that encompasses the multiple dimensions of life as we know it.

Billions of years ago, the site on Mars where Curiosity analyzed its first rock sample had the conditions necessary to support life on Mars. John Grotzinger, project scientist for the mission, spoke with Astrobiology Magazine about the mission and the new results.

In this interview, Jeff Moersch describes the DAN instrument on the Mars Curiosity rover. Donated by the Russian Federal Space Agency, this instrument will search for underground water without any need for digging.

Richard Leveille of the Canadian Space Agency is one of the scientists working on Curiosity's Chemistry & Camera (ChemCam) instrument. ChemCam’s laser will target selected rocks, creating an ionized, glowing plasma that will be used to analyze their composition.

Molecular biologist and complexity theorist, Stuart Kauffman, discusses his role in research taking place as part of the Origin of Life-CERN collaborative project. In February 2013, CERN is set to host private talks concerning the potential for origin of life research at the organization.